August 29, 2009

Freddy wants to come back next year (UPDATE)

”Hopefully they do want me back. They gave me a shot this year, and maybe I can show them that I am good enough to come back next year. We’ll see. It depends on what they’re looking for, but, hey, I’m here already, so maybe they will bring me back. This is where I want to be. I missed the game a lot. The last two years have been rough for me. I tried to come back last year with Detroit, was feeling good. Pitched three times, and then my shoulder started bothering me and never stopped. I came back this year to spring training [with the Mets], and I was never really given a chance to pitch like I want to. I’ve always been a starter. They put me as a reliever, and that pushed me back. I didn’t have a chance to recover after I pitched, and the stuff wasn’t there. My velocity and stuff. When I got released, that was a good thing that happened. I went home and was able to rest my shoulder. I ran, did my stuff, but let my shoulder rest. … After that [MRI that showed his shoulder was clean], I was able to say, ‘OK, I know now I can really come back, and [the Sox] know that nothing is wrong with my shoulder,”’ he said. ”That helped mentally. Now, I just want to move forward again.”

UPDATE: Garcia’s contract with Sox has a $1 million option for next year, that includes $2 million in incentives based on innings pitched next year (source).